When facing the France Pavilion from the “Pont des Arts” bridge, Les Chefs de France is located on the ground floor of the large building to the left. The menu here is inspired by nouvelle cuisine. This is a method of preparing food using lighter and more delicate fare and an increased emphasis on presentation. Whenever I eat here, I usually order Bisque de Homard (lobster bisque) for an appetizer and Profiteroles au Chocolat (Puff choux with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce) for dessert. I’m in heaven.

The three founding chefs of this establishment were recently joined by a fourth epicurean prodigy. Chef Remy (from the Disney-Pixar film “Ratatouille”) now helps out in the kitchen six days a week. He can often be coaxed out of the kitchen four times a day to mingle with the patrons. He is accompanied by one of the restaurant employees who helps translate his squeaky voice. And just for the record, he’s more than happy to say “cheese” when posing for a photograph.

Les Chefs de France is open for lunch and dinner. Reservations are strongly recommended, but if you arrive at opening (currently noon), you can often secure a lunchtime table.

The second table service restaurant at the France Pavilion is Bistro de Paris. Its entrance is located off of a courtyard behind Les Chefs de France. This eatery is on the second floor of this same building and offers outstanding views of World Showcase.

Bistro de Paris is elegantly decorated without being pretentious. Its style captures the sophistication and romance of turn-of-the-20th century Paris. Cream colored walls and maroon upholstery are accented by mirrors, brass sconces, and milk-glass chandeliers. And unlike its downstairs counterpart, Les Chefs de France, the tables at the Bistro de Paris are spaciously arranged allowing diners a more intimate atmosphere.

Bistro de Paris offers Ã€ la Carte and Prix Fixe dining. If you opt for the Prix Fixe option, you’ll be served four courses with or without wine pairing. Bistro de Paris boasts a magnificent wine list that features French wines from the famed regions of Alsace, Loire Valley, Southern France, Bourgogne and Bordeaux. Please note, although children are welcome to dine here, no children’s menus are available.

In my opinion, Bistro de Paris is the finest “theme park” restaurant at Walt Disney World. It is comparable in every way to Flying Fish, Citricos, and California Grill. Not only is the food and wine outstanding, so is the service. This is not an establishment you want to “get in and get out” of. You want, no, you need to savor every minute you spend here. Plan on at least an hour and a half. Reservations are strongly recommended.

Be forewarned, this eatery becomes busy early in the day and remains so until closing. Either arrive at opening, or be prepared to wait in line.

There are numerous tables right outside the Boulangerie Patisserie. On a pleasant day, it doesn’t take too much imagination to make believe you’re actually in Paris enjoying your taste treat on a quiet street. However, these tables fill up quickly and sometimes it’s difficult to secure one. If you discover that all of them are occupied, don’t despair, more are available just inside the Souvenirs de France shop. Actually, on a hot day, these inside tables are a better choice than their outside counterparts as you’ll find air conditioning waiting for you here.

I have to believe that 95% of you have already experienced Boulangerie Patisserie and these pictures are nothing more than a pleasant reminder of a lovely spot. But for that other 5%, this needs to be a “must see” on your next visit to Epcot. I can pretty much guarantee that once you try it, you’ll become a regular customer.

There are several shopping options in the France Pavilion. Three stores line the right side of the pavilion near the Seine. First is Plume et Palette (Feather and Pallet). This Art Nouveau shop sells French fragrances, soaps, and a small selection of handbags.

In the early years, the second floor of this lovely shop was open to the public. Guests could wander this area, viewing works of art and browse through prints by French impressionists which were for sale. In addition, wonderful views were afforded from here. Unfortunately, this area is no longer open to guests.

The entranceway to the Arcade is styled to look like an entry to the Paris Metro. Through this gateway, are more shops.

The newest mercantile to open in the France Pavilion is Givenchy. This 400 square foot shop offers the entire line of Givenchy fragrances, cosmetics and skincare products including a specially created fragrance exclusive to Epcot, eaudemoiselle de Givenchy.

Another feature of Epcot’s Givenchy shop is a complete makeup counter, complete with experts to help you select and apply the appropriate product. As a learning tool, the associate will be happy to apply the makeup to only half of your face then allow you to take over under his or her guidance for the second half. If you decide to purchase their products, you will be provided with a complete, step-by-step chart so you’ll know exactly what to do once you return home.

La Signature shop features Guerlain products. In 2007, this shop was remodeled as a Haute Perfumery patterned after the original La Maison Guerlain flagship boutique on the Champs-Elysees in Paris. La Signature carries exclusive and limited-edition specialty fragrances for men and women.

Les Vins de France offers a selection of French wines. Beginner connoisseurs can find relatively inexpensive selections and experts will be delighted with rare vintages. Wine tasting is also offered in this shop. Prices range from about $5 per tasting to $12.

Adjacent to Les Vins de France is L’Esprit de Provence. This wonderful emporium sells kitchen accessories, dinnerware, some foodstuffs, and Disney cookbooks.

The last shop found in the France Pavilion is Souvenirs de France. As the name implies, this is the place to pick up the stereotypical remembrance to take back home from your trip abroad. Models of the Eiffel Tower, guide books, berets, posters, mugs, and other Parisian memorabilia are available here. This is also the spot to pick up a Remy plush. And if you’re looking to get your Epcot passport stamped, a Kidcot Fun Spot can be found in this shop.

When the France Pavilion first opened, Souvenirs de France was called Galerie des Halles. This emporium was modeled after Les Halles, which was the predominant marketplace of Paris for centuries. In the 1850’s, architect Victor Baltard designed an elegant iron and glass structure to protect the merchants from the elements. Les Halles became known as the “belly of Paris.” Unfortunately, changing economics and age would bring an end to this marketplace and it was dismantled in 1971.

Perhaps the biggest draw at the France Pavilion is the movie, Impressions de France. This 18 minute travelogue is breathtaking. Outstanding cinematography is expertly blended with the classical music of French composers and takes viewers from one end of France to the other. Famous landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe are shown as well as lesser known locales in the countryside. The movie is projected onto five screens, each measuring 21 feet high and 27Â½ feet in width for a total of 200 degrees. And unlike the CircleVision films shown in the Canada and China Pavilions, this theatre provides seating for the audience — a welcome respite when touring World Showcase. I’m sure I’ve seen this film at least 50 times and I could easily see it that many times again. This film is usually shown on the hour and on the half-hour.

Impressions de France is shown in the Palais du Cinema. The exterior of this building was inspired by a theatre in Fontainebleau. When waiting for the next presentation to begin, be sure to take a look at the gargoyle in the lobby. Known as the Spitting Gargoyle, this is the most famous of the hideous creatures that guard the Cathedral of Notre Dame and is the most photographed. The reproduction was made from a direct casting of the original.

For those of you curious as to what locations you’re seeing in Impressions de France, here is a complete listing in order of appearance. It’s interesting to note, the film editor wheedled the movie down to 46 locations out of the 140 originally shot.

As with the other World Showcase nations, street entertainers are a part of the experience at the France Pavilion. All too often we only see these “impromptu” shows if we happen to be in the area when they begin. But the times of these presentations are listed in the Times Guide and some attention should be paid. These performances are a lot of fun and often good for a laugh.

Currently, “Serveur Amusant!” (which translates to Amusing Waiter) is playing at the France Pavilion five times a week. These acrobats/comedians use wine bottles and a table and chairs to amuse and delight as they build a tower that teeters over the onlookers below.

That’s it for the France Pavilion. As I always tell you, slow down and notice the details. Each of the World Showcase countries was designed and created from painstaking research and work. Nothing happened here by accident. Every color, texture, plant, and element was selected for a reason.

I’ll end this blog with my now traditional video. It’s approximately 9 minutes in length. Enjoy.

39 Replies to “Epcot’s France Pavilion – Part Two”

Hello Jack,
Wonderful blog about the France Pavilion.
Les Chefs de France is a family must do every time we go to Disney. The food is wonderful, the decor is beautiful and so authentic, the cast members are great and my 10 yr old nephew got to see Remi up close on our last visit. He loved that! I love to wonder the shops or sit by the fountain and people watch too.
The Boulangerie Patisserie is my favorite spot for goodies. Sometimes I will take some back to the hotel for a late night snack or a quick breakfast the next day. If you have not tried one of the Strawberry Tarts, you are missing a taste treat! It was recommended by a cast member at the Disney Studios.Yum

I loved that 2nd floor shop, Plume & Palette, in France. I purchased some wonderful impressionist prints and oil paintings that still hang in my house! It was a mandatory stop for us until it closed. I miss it greatly!!!

We ate the Les Chefs de France in June, and it was wonderful. We were seated in the glass-enclosed room. Even though it was a crazy-crowded day at EPCOT, the staff were super-nice. Hopefully next time, I’ll get the chance to do a slow mosey around the whole pavilion.

France is our favorite pavillion (along with The USA) and we love to just relax with a cone or beverage while looking out over the “Seine.”
My only complaint is that it’s too small (cramped) when there are crowds.
Thank you so much for that video. Your videos are always such a treat and wonderful to watch!

As a side note: Whenever I see footage or a pic of the old double-decker buses that use to run around World Showcase I get so upset. When they took them away it was a sad day for us. We could really use them, now that we’re older.

Hi Jack !!
Well, as usual you have again given us something else to find interesting and see even though we have been to the parks so many times. Your blog was timely as this year during our annual food and wine festival jaunt, we have several things scheduled in the France pavillion, a place we have not frequented in the past, except for the pastry !
Your information makes me interested in trying out Les Chefs de France or Bistro de Paris for a meal. Always looking for new and interesting places within “the world”, they look just beautiful. Thanks for the interesting tips and additions to our “to do” list this year !

HI Jack! I always enjoy your articles. I just wanted to share one of my favorite memories from a 2005 visit to the France pavallion. My daughters Nicoletta 4 and Jacquelyn 3 back then decided they would have us and anyone who would join our party of 7 (including the girls) play Simon Says while waiting in the lobby area to the movie. They were Simon and they had us get into a circle on the floor and they stood in front of us. We had to do silly faces, dances, hopping on one foot ect. They had decided to do it all on their own which everyone else waiting to see the film found very entertaining to watch all these adults doing silly things the little girls instructed. It became the show before the show. I do wish I had videotaped it back then but then if I did I wouldn’t have been able to do what Simon Says.

The Patisserie is one of our favorite stops on all our trips. The pastries are divine, the strawberry tart and ham and cheese croissant are on the tops of our list. Mmmm. This is such a beautiful area of Epcot, I love every detail.

All I could do was let out a big sigh after reading the whole “review”! France is my in my top 5 WDW Must Do’s, mostly due to Impressions de France. I could sit in that theater all day and be continuously mesmerized and relaxed by that movie! Love Le Chefs de France, but can’t understand one thing- the last time I got a snack at Boulangerie Patisserie, all they had was NESCAFE…seriously, they need to beef up the coffee choices, because when I think Parisian cafe, I do not think “instant coffee”. Otherwise, love the review and thanks for the bit of Disney in my day!

I know I am late to the party here but WOW! What an awesome blog post! The France Pavillion is a tie for my favorite pavillion (with Mexico) and I have wanted to visit the real place for most of my life! I never visit WDW without seeing Impressions De France and spending some time here! My husband and I are actually going to have a date night on our next trip in February and are eating at Bistro de Paris so I’m extra excited about that! Hopefully we will have an evening to make us feel like we realy are in Paris! Thank you, thank you, thank you for this post!!!

Jack, this is the best WS Pavilion overview I’ve ever seen on any Disney website or blog and I’ve seen many. France is my favorite pavilion in the WS and you did it complete justice. I hope you do others.

While a pastry in France is always on our Epcot to do list, I so miss Au Petit Cafe. My husband and I ate their on our 1st anniversary trip in 1995. It was an unplanned stop and we found it to be such a charming place to eat. Such a wonderful spot to sit, enjoy the food, and watch everyone walking by. Other than Victoria and Alberts, that was our favorite WDW restaurant.

An outstanding job as always! You made my day (again). I’m totally enamored with the French Pavilion, restaurants and movie. In fact, I created an ITunes playlist based on the music from the film. Thank you for a real treat, a taste of EPCOT.

For anyone who has NOT seen Impressions de France… I just have to say, this is possibly the most hauntingly, exhiliaratingly beautiful piece of film I have ever seen. Even if you have never been to France, have no intention of going, don’t speak a word of French, and can’t even recognize the business end of an eclair, make a point to see this film.

Of all the attractions they update in WDW, I hope they NEVER change this one. They got it right the first time.

I don’t really have that much interest in France or the French Pavilion (unless I’m planning on conquering it…British and German family background), but I do wish there was a bakery/pastry shop in the German Pavilion as there is in “France”.

I look forward to your comments regarding Germany. I grew up in the Army, and lived there for a time.

My mouth is watering like crazy, thanks! The Patisserie is on our to do list this November. Hopefully with all the walking in Disney, I won’t gain a pound- cause I know I’ll be getting alot to eat from that shop! We re-did our bedroom in Paris theme so looking forward to getting some items to match the decor. We are always “themeing” rooms in this house! Thanks for the insight into the France pavillion.

Thank you for the wonderful article. France was always one of my favorite countries in the World Showcase to get lost in!

One of my favorite memories was in late 2002, I was having a late dinner with my parents at Les Chefs de France. We hadn’t made any dinner plans for the evening, but they were able to seat us right away. And although we had dined there before, never so late. To our surprise (and joy) when Illuminations started the restaurant was ready. They turned the lights down, opened all the windows and piped the music through their speakers. We weren’t expecting it and it was wonderful!

It’s not your typical “Illuminations watching” spots, but I would recommend it to anyone!

Another terrific entry. This has changed my plans for an upcoming visit to be sure we set aside time for France. As others have mentioned, your detailed postings give us a much needed fix in between visits. Thanks for all you do – it’s great to have you back!

Oh Jack, I love your blogs to give me a WDW (and DLP) fix until I go again – which will be in 3 weeks. France is our favourite, because, as we stay at the Beach Club it’s always our first taste of a park when we leave the resort to eat and explore on our first night. Keep them coming 🙂

Back in 2008, some friends of mine were in Epcot watching this film and we got very curious about the soundtrack as we recognized much of it (personal soundtrack favorite: the Saint-Saens organ concerto). We went to one of the cast members, who had no idea what these nutty Americans were talking about, but he did go in the back and get us a typed, comprehensive list of the music tracks used in the film. It’s now a treasured souvenir. As always, hooray for Disney customer service!

Thanks jack for another great blog. Reading and watching your video makes me wish I was there now. We have also seen Impressions de France at least 50 times. The film and music are just wonderful. In fact I have the music on my I-Pod and listen to it on a regular basis. We stop in Boulangerie Patisserie every time we are in the park. There are so many tempting to enjoy here. In fact we have lunch here on every trip. Thanks again for such a great blog Jack. We will be visiting the France Pavilion again next month only 29 days to go.

Wonderful pictures and information. A great tip to those on the dining plan-at last check in June of 2011, I found you could use your snack credits on many of the selections at Boulangerie Patisserie including the Ham and Cheese croissant which was almost a small in itself!

Lovely. One of my favorite parts of staying at the Beach Club Resort is walking toward the International Gateway from the hotel and hearing “La Vie en Rose” playing as I walk along the “Seine”. Thanks so much for doing this.

Great blog and video! You are a perfectionist, and it really shows. I really enjoy all of the background information you provide, especially when it comes to architecture and design.

I never thought I wanted to visit France until I saw the film “Impressions de France.” The part where they fly over the snow-covered Mont Blanc, as Claire de Lune crescendos brought a tear to my eye, and goosebumps all over. There is something so magical about viewing beautiful scenery while listening to beautiful music. Very emotional.

Perhaps I had bought into the notion that the French in general, and Parisians in particular are rude and hate Americans, but my father and stepmom found that not to be true. They had a wonderful time in Paris.

Perhaps I should get a Passport. One never knows when opportunity might strike. Besides, now there’s Disneyland Paris.

I really enjoy architecture and photographing architecture. I love the building that houses Plume et Palette, but I really miss the art gallery and being able to go upstairs. The interior is such a fine example of the Art Nouveau style. In fact I would say that it is absolutely flawless in its execution. Just shows how good Disney is at creating an authentic experience.

hey jack
Last year was the first time that i really took the time too take in the beauty of the france pavilion and i absolutly loved what i saw. the atmosphere was amazing and the food was good as well as the movie. can’t wait for your next blog and as always keep up the great work.

I know I say it all the time but I absolutely love your blogs–you’re helping fill my void until our trip this fall! To one of the readers who commented earlier (Heather Macdonald) Impressions de France is on the “Four Parks One World” soundtrack (the track is 9:53 in length so its about half the length of the show [but I still love it]…a “full” list is on wikipedia can’t say whether or not its completely accurate but its a start! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impressions_de_France)

My one question–are the Beauty and the Beast windows still in the pavilion? I wasn’t sure if they were moved after Givenchy opened…

Kait

Jack’s Answer:

The Beauty and the Beast faux stained glass windows are no longer a part of the pavilion.

I really enjoyed this blog! The France Pavilion is one of my favorites. I finally saw the film there on a recent trip. I asked the cast member at the exit for a list of the music in the film. She didn’t have one. Any chance you do? Or know where I can find one?

Dear Jack,
I am a huge fan of your blog. I have only been to Disney World once in 1997 when I was 18. I fell head over heels in love with Epcot. But the France Pavilion swept me away and the memories are quite lovely. I am making a return with my own family in 2012. To say I’m excited is putting it mild and my research fuels my fever. So your blog is like a intense jolt of joy. My question is The Impressions of France movie the same I saw in 1997? I was moved so much by the splendor, it brought me to tears. I very much hope it’s the same. Thank so much.

Jack’s Answer: The movie at the France pavilion has not changed since the park opened. Why tamper with perfection.

If one’s favorite movie is measured by how many times it’s been seen, then “Impressions de France” would have to be our favorite. The scene with the old couple walking their dog on the Normandy cliff always draws a tear from my wife.

Due to my background I was able to identify most of the classical music soundtrack, but a few segments always puzzled me. I eventually learned they were interludes provided by Disney studio composer Buddy Baker. I still haven’t found those bits on any Disney-released soundtrack CD.

We’re looking forward to dining at one of the French Regional Lunches during Food & Wine next month at Chefs de France.

It was a wonderful blog as usual. We have only enjoyed Boulangerie Patisserie but would like to try Les Chefs de France soon…your pictures made us want to go for sure…my youngest would love to see Remy.